Improvement in clothes-pins



UNITED STATES PATENT T OFFICE.

DANIEL M. CUMMINGS, OF ENFIELD, N. H., AND ALBERT G. CUMMINGS, OF NORTH WILLISTON, VT., ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF THEIR RIGHT TO B. FRANK BROWN AND WILLIAM A.-BUSSELL.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOTHES-PINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l72,62, dated January 18, 1876; application filed June 21, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

' Beiit known that we, DANIEL M. CUMMINGS, of Enfield, county of Grafton, State of New Hampshire, and ALBERT G. CUMMINGS, of

North Williston, county of Chittenden, State of Vermont, have invented an Improvement in Clothes-Pin, of which the following is a when applied to the line, and to prevent the extreme ends a afrom catching on the clothes. The springs A A are made heavier than the springs B B to equalize the strain due to the 1 different points of bearing, as shown in Fig. 1

on a section of line C, with clothes 0 0.

Our invention consists of an improvementin clothes-pins, and isdesigned to further augment the clutching-force of such devices.

The device is provided with four parallel slots, two of which are located in the center of the device, the length thereof being about one-half of that of the two exterior slots, and form a central bar, the lower extremity of which is made to terminate on a line horizontal with the lower extremity of the central slots, and thus terminated they form a suitable space for the reception of the clothes-line. This arrangement of slots forms one central bar and four parallel springs. The central bar thus formed is of equal width throughout its length, which is about one-half the length of the central springs, and its lower extremity is made to terminate on a line horizontal with the lower extremity of the central slots, and thus terminated prevents the clothes-line from passing above the shoulders provided on the interior springs, and the springs which clutch the line are bent and shaped so as to open outwardly or flaring toward their lower extremity and press against the exterior springs, and are provided with a small shoulder in a line horizontal with the lower extremity of the central bar and central slots. prongs or springs B B from the shoulders downward are formed like the segment of a circle. The exterior springs are curved inwardly to their lower extremity b b, and constantly press against the interior or central springs, (which latter are about one-fourth of an inch longer than the exterior springs.) and, acting as auxiliary springs, doubly augment the clutchingpower of the device. referred to extend upward in parallel lines to a distance equal to about three-fifths of the length of the pin, and the two exterior of the four springs formed thereby are tapered downward toward their lower extremity in order to increase the flexibility of the springs. From the point where the slots terminate at their upper extremity the solid portion of the device converges toward the apex thereof to within a half inch of that point, and is then rounded to form a bulb or head. What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The clothes-pin consisting of the central bar 11, the spring clasping-pieces B B, cut away as shown and outwardly bent at the ends, and the outer spring re-enforcin g pieces A A, hearing inwardly at their lower extremity to secure constant contact with the inner spring-pieces B B, as and. for the purpose set forth.

D. M. CUMMINGS. ALBERT G. CUMMINGS. Witnesses as to 1). M. CUMMINGS:

C. G. MORGAN, I F. H. WELLS.

Witnesses as to ALBERT M. CUMMINGS:

R. B. FAY, J. B. TALCOTT.

The central The slots 

